Ephesians 3:1-13
The Mystery Revealed
1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...
2Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
3that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
7I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
8Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
10His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
11according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.
13So I ask you not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Berean Standard Bible
Paul calls himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the Gentiles. His imprisonment is not evidence that his ministry has failed. He understands his suffering as part of the work God gave him to do, even though it has placed him under guard.
He says the mystery was made known to him by revelation. In earlier generations it was not made known as fully as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. The mystery is not a secret code for a spiritual elite. It is God's newly disclosed plan for people who had been kept apart.
Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Each word gives them equal standing. They are not guests waiting for a more Jewish expression of faith, and they are not tolerated at the edge of God's people.
Paul was made a servant of this gospel by God's grace and power. He calls himself less than the least of all the saints, yet he was given grace to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to illuminate God's hidden plan. The church now makes God's many-sided wisdom known to rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
This purpose is according to God's eternal plan accomplished in Christ. Because of Him, believers have boldness and confident access to God through faith. Paul therefore tells them not to lose heart because of his sufferings. His hardship is not their shame; he sees it as their glory because the gospel is reaching them.
How We Know
The claim about Gentiles is tied directly to the previous chapter. Those once far away were brought near by Christ's blood, and both groups were reconciled to God in one body. Chapter 3 names that shared body as the mystery now revealed.
Paul also asks for prayer near the end of the letter so he can make the gospel known boldly while imprisoned. The beginning and ending agree: his chains are real, but they do not cancel his calling to announce Christ to the nations.
Questions
1 For whose sake does Paul say he is a prisoner?
AnswerHe says he is a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the Gentiles. His suffering is connected to their inclusion in the gospel.
2 What is the mystery Paul says has now been revealed?
AnswerGentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of God's promise in Christ through the gospel.
3 What was Paul given grace to proclaim?
AnswerHe was given grace to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and to illuminate God's hidden plan.
4 What does faith in Christ give believers in relation to God?
AnswerThrough faith in Christ, believers have boldness and confident access to God. They do not approach as strangers.
What This Means for Us
God's plan is wider than the boundaries people naturally draw. The church is strongest when it remembers that no culture, family history, or level of religious familiarity gives one believer a superior place before the Father.
Paul's imprisonment also corrects our idea that visible success is the only sign of a faithful life. He can suffer and still be serving God's purpose. We should not measure obedience only by ease, applause, or immediate results.
Prayer
God of grace, thank You for bringing the nations into one body through Christ. Give us humility about our place, courage in hardship, and faith to make Your riches known with love. Amen.